Informational flyer about school mill levies in Montana.

1. School District #2 Mill Levies
The Billings community will have the opportunity to vote on three educational mill levies
for School District #2. This flyer provides “information only” regarding the upcoming
election.
The election will be conducted by mail with ballots going out April 13, 2010. The
deadline for ballots to be returned is May 4, 2010.
Voters will be asked to decide on each of the three educational mill levies
independently, based on its own merits. Informational details for each of these mill
levies are included in this flyer.
Elementary District General Fund
$1.8 Million
The Elementary District includes Kindergarten through 8th grade.
The General Fund is used for the proper maintenance and operation of the
Elementary District.
Minimum state funding provides 80% to schools. Local voter approved mill levies
are available to provide the remaining 20%. A mill levy is another name for a
property tax.
The last mill levy approved for the Elementary District General Fund was in 2007
for $1.4 million. Those funds were allocated to re-opening Beartooth Elementary
School.
Mill levies are for dollar amounts, not mill value. When the tax base grows,
School District #2 cannot capture the expanded tax base revenues unless a mill
levy is passed.
A deficit of $2.2 million is projected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 for the Elementary
District General Fund. One-time federal stimulus law funding has been approved
to reduce the FY2011 deficit to $1.1 million.
Billings Education Association (Teachers union) has agreed to confer with the
district about reducing teachers’ salaries for FY2011. District Administration and
support staff are also willing to consider pay cuts.
Funds from passage of this mill levy will be used to balance the FY2011 budget.
Remaining funds will be used to reduce the projected FY2012 budget deficit of
$3.0 million.
For a $100,000 home, passage of this proposal will increase taxes by
approximately $20.37 per year.

2. Elementary District Technology Fund
$1.4 Million
High School District Technology Fund
$1.1 Million
Elementary District includes Kindergarten through 8th grade. High School District
includes 9th-12th grade.
The Technology budget and department supports 33 buildings, 7,000 computers,
100 servers, and 18,000 users.
The majority of technology funding comes from the General Fund (see other
side) which is intended for maintenance/licensing contracts, salaries and
infrastructure. In the General Fund, no line item is specifically budgeted for
computer and software purchases.
One-time funds, PTAs, local business partnerships and donations have been
used to provide new computers/technology.
School districts are allowed to levy additional funds, outside of the General Fund,
for technology. The amount levied each year cannot exceed 20% of the original
cost of any technological equipment that is owned by the district. Funds from
Technology Mill Levies must be used for hardware, software, technology support
and associated professional development.
The strategy of the Billings Public Schools’ Technology Plan focuses on
providing teachers and students with the digital tools, instruction and support
necessary to transcend learning into the 21st century.
In its Technology Plan, Billings Public Schools expresses a belief that students
and staff must “use digital tools effectively to live, learn and work successfully in
an increasingly complex and information-rich global society.”
Funds from the passage of the Elementary District and High School District
Technology Mill Levies will be used for purchasing, renting, repairing and
maintaining technological equipment, including computers and computer network
access and the associated technical training for school district personnel.
For a $100,000 home, passage of the Elementary District Technology proposal
will increase taxes by approximately $15.93 per year. For a $100,000 home,
passage of the High School District Technology proposal will increase taxes by
approximately $9.42 per year.